Rosh Hashanah

Hope has been in short supply lately — the murder of a diplomat in Libya, the ongoing savagery in Syria, Iran's apparent march toward nuclear weaponry, Midwest drought, climate change, the pain of the unemployed — the list is long. In the midst of my melancholy over these and other troubles, I had decided — with very mixed feelings — to remove my yellow "Support a cure" bracelet. Lance Armstrong's decision not to contest doping allegations had been a downer for a cancer survivor like me, and I'm sure for others.

Rabbi Mark S. Miller’s favorite part of Rosh Hashanah is blowing the shofar, a traditional instrument typically made from a ram’s horn. “It’s like the Jewish alarm clock that says ‘Wake up, time is going by; if you are going to do it, it’s time to do it,’ ” said Miller, who is presiding over Rosh Hashanah services at Temple Bat Yahm in Newport Beach. Rosh Hashanah, which will mark the beginning of the Jewish year 5770, began at sunset Friday.

With the Jewish New Year ready to kick off in a few hours, the staff at Temple Isaiah of Newport Beach spent the early afternoon Friday setting up for the feast ahead. The new year on the Hebrew calendar begins with Rosh Hashanah, a two-day holiday featuring sermons, prayers, music and plenty of food. At 8 p.m. on Friday, at Temple Isaiah and other synagogues around the area, Rosh Hashanah was set to begin. Rabbi Marc Rubenstein and volunteer Ashlyn Bradford were among those preparing the menu, which included wine, fruit and round challah bread.

As the congregation at Temple Isaiah in Newport Beach begins Rosh Hashanah tonight, they will not only be looking forward to the Jewish New Year, they'll also be proudly looking back at this past year. The temple, which bills itself as Orange County's friendliest synagogue, has pushed in recent months to build its membership through public events and a recently-launched website. Last year, Rabbi Marc Rubenstein said, around 100 people visited the temple for the New Year, but the crowd for the upcoming weekend could be the biggest ever.

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For Rabbi Reuven Mintz of Chabad Jewish Center, Rosh Hashanah is a time of year for renewal, reflection and rededication to his faith. “It’s a time for goodness and kindness and to seek change in our lives,” Mintz said. The Jewish year 5767 will begin at sunset today and will be marked by area temples with numerous special services. The holy day, which will be observed until sunset Friday, will be marked with eating special foods and the casting off of the sins of the past year.

Deepa Bharath The aroma of apples and honey filled the air in homes and temples on Wednesday at sundown as hundreds of Jewish families rang in the new year -- Rosh Hashanah. It marks the beginning of the High Holy Days, a week of prayer and introspection, which culminates in Yom Kippur. Rosh Hashanah literally means "head of the year," said Rabbi Reuven Mintz of the Chabad Jewish Center in Newport Beach. "The head of the human body has control over much of the rest of the body," he said.

Chabad Jewish Center will sponsor High Holiday Services in celebration of the Jewish New Year at the Hyatt Regency Newport Beach, 1107 Jamboree Road. The services are free and geared primarily toward families living in Orange County who might not be affiliated with any particular synagogue. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the holiest days of the year in the Jewish faith. Rabbi Reuven Mintz of the Jewish Center wants to ensure services are available for people who might not otherwise attend them.

Michelle Marr Sunset on Friday will mark the start of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, and signal the beginning of the High Holy Days, a 10-day period of reflection and renewal that concludes with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. "The High Holy Days are about coming to the synagogue to find improvement for our lives, but this year is a little different," said Rabbi Marc Steven Rubenstein of Temple Isaiah in Newport Beach. "This year, there is a lot of anger toward God, and rabbis feel like they have to give answers to what is going on."

Friends, you probably know that Wednesday evening began the celebration of Rosh Hashanah and Thursday marked the end of Ramadan. I spent Wednesday night celebrating Rosh Hashanah with a gathering of rabbis. Together we prayed, sang, ate, laughed and loved as we welcomed in the new year. Muslims mark the end of Ramadan with a celebration of Eid al-Fitr, which takes place over a number of days. This year one of those days falls on Saturday, which, sadly, also marks the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attack on U.S. soil.

Hope has been in short supply lately — the murder of a diplomat in Libya, the ongoing savagery in Syria, Iran's apparent march toward nuclear weaponry, Midwest drought, climate change, the pain of the unemployed — the list is long. In the midst of my melancholy over these and other troubles, I had decided — with very mixed feelings — to remove my yellow "Support a cure" bracelet. Lance Armstrong's decision not to contest doping allegations had been a downer for a cancer survivor like me, and I'm sure for others.

Friends, you probably know that Wednesday evening began the celebration of Rosh Hashanah and Thursday marked the end of Ramadan. I spent Wednesday night celebrating Rosh Hashanah with a gathering of rabbis. Together we prayed, sang, ate, laughed and loved as we welcomed in the new year. Muslims mark the end of Ramadan with a celebration of Eid al-Fitr, which takes place over a number of days. This year one of those days falls on Saturday, which, sadly, also marks the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attack on U.S. soil.

Hasn’t everyone? For me, journeys of forgiveness begin with choosing non-retaliation, traveling through prayer and understanding, and, ideally, arriving at compassion; the process moves from hostility to hospitality. If I embrace the joy of God’s creativity in place of my own hurt and weakness, then God’s love can make me strong and rich and able to give and forgive. Forgiveness from the heart and mind is difficult, but once done what is shared is the laughter of God. The Very Rev. Canon Peter D. Haynes St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church of Corona del Mar How can one not struggle with forgiveness?

Rabbi Mark S. Miller’s favorite part of Rosh Hashanah is blowing the shofar, a traditional instrument typically made from a ram’s horn. “It’s like the Jewish alarm clock that says ‘Wake up, time is going by; if you are going to do it, it’s time to do it,’ ” said Miller, who is presiding over Rosh Hashanah services at Temple Bat Yahm in Newport Beach. Rosh Hashanah, which will mark the beginning of the Jewish year 5770, began at sunset Friday.

For Rabbi Reuven Mintz of Chabad Jewish Center, Rosh Hashanah is a time of year for renewal, reflection and rededication to his faith. “It’s a time for goodness and kindness and to seek change in our lives,” Mintz said. The Jewish year 5767 will begin at sunset today and will be marked by area temples with numerous special services. The holy day, which will be observed until sunset Friday, will be marked with eating special foods and the casting off of the sins of the past year.

Rosh Hashanah is the Creation of the World. It is a time to recreate ourselves by recognizing our faults, repenting and asking forgiveness from others for our sins, all leading to atonement, granted by God for our actions. Repentance involves knowing ourselves and changing to what God wants usto become. The major part of Rosh Hashanah is finding our real selves and achieving our goals in life, practicing mitzvot, good deeds for all. The process of trying to find our potential in life never ends.

Chabad Jewish Center will sponsor High Holiday Services in celebration of the Jewish New Year at the Hyatt Regency Newport Beach, 1107 Jamboree Road. The services are free and geared primarily toward families living in Orange County who might not be affiliated with any particular synagogue. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the holiest days of the year in the Jewish faith. Rabbi Reuven Mintz of the Jewish Center wants to ensure services are available for people who might not otherwise attend them.

What amounted to a three-day holiday weekend for the Corona del Mar High fooball team had nothing to do with Rosh Hashanah. Rather, the Sea Kings and their supporters spent Friday, Saturday and Sunday reveling in a 14-6 victory over Newport Harbor Thursday night in the 45th edition of the Battle of the Bay. The win, before a capacity crowd of 5,000 at Newport Harbor High, broke CdM's seven-game losing streak to the Sailors, who had won...

With the Jewish New Year ready to kick off in a few hours, the staff at Temple Isaiah of Newport Beach spent the early afternoon Friday setting up for the feast ahead. The new year on the Hebrew calendar begins with Rosh Hashanah, a two-day holiday featuring sermons, prayers, music and plenty of food. At 8 p.m. on Friday, at Temple Isaiah and other synagogues around the area, Rosh Hashanah was set to begin. Rabbi Marc Rubenstein and volunteer Ashlyn Bradford were among those preparing the menu, which included wine, fruit and round challah bread.

As the congregation at Temple Isaiah in Newport Beach begins Rosh Hashanah tonight, they will not only be looking forward to the Jewish New Year, they'll also be proudly looking back at this past year. The temple, which bills itself as Orange County's friendliest synagogue, has pushed in recent months to build its membership through public events and a recently-launched website. Last year, Rabbi Marc Rubenstein said, around 100 people visited the temple for the New Year, but the crowd for the upcoming weekend could be the biggest ever.